FOCAL ENERGY

A stand-out feature such as this Achetes Pendant from Dar Lighting combined with a dark, resonant paint colour creates a show-stopping focal point

LEFT: This small dual-purpose dressing room/ guestroom designed by Catriona Archer used a mural wallpaper as its focal point, framed by a plush velvet sofa-bed and simple wardrobes

add extra design elements around your chosen point to draw attention. It can also be effective to accentuate focal points with an individual light source.

“We often use the room’s best asset as its focal point,” says Catriona Archer, “but we don’t have to be blessed with a fabulous architectural feature or breath-taking view from a window to create something wonderful. A room can be given personality and a clear purpose by using a favourite piece of furniture, a contrast in colour and through lighting. Less is often more, and even the smallest of rooms can make a big impression!”

“It is often helpful (though not always crucial) to position a ‘hero piece’ on the opposite wall of the room’s main entrance,”continues Catriona. “We unconsciously look for symmetry and harmony within a space in order to feel more relaxed, so you may wish to consider arranging the layout of other furniture and accessories accordingly, to help balance this focal-point within the space.”

Different rooms

The majority of rooms have automatically positioned focal points with structural architectural features such as fireplaces and windows. Some rooms, especially small ones, give little flexibility in terms of furniture arrangement. In a main bedroom, for example, there is generally only one viable position for a double bed, usually opposite the window, and as a substantial and defining element of the room it’s the perfect contender for a focal point treatment – a statement headboard, a handmade quilt, and cushions and throws to dress.

If the building is an older one, there may be an original fireplace along one of the walls, an automatic focal point providing another point of interest. In a bathroom your architectural structure may be less interesting but the creative use of colour with tiles and bathroom furniture can create a real wow dynamic.

Living rooms can be trickier. By their nature, they are more complex, designed to encompass different sorts of activity: relaxation, watching television, listening to music, children’s play area, study area. So focal points may be harder to interpret. They can be established through contrast as much as through visual stimulation. Using a soft chair in a room full of hard edges, having a statement table in the middle of a room with an eye-catching sculpture, creating a feature wall with pattern or colour or an eye-catching gallery wall creating automatic visual conversations.

John Law says, “We are always keen to reflect a client’s personality and lifestyle within any space, and every so often look to introduce a gallery wall as a focal point, perhaps set against a dark wall as a dramatic backdrop. Here we would look to mix the old and the new, using the client’s own artwork

ABOVE: A gallery wall creates a statement around a principal feature such as a bed, and allows the use of very personal images to give character

RIGHT: This design by Etons of Bath shows how a classic Georgian interior is based on symmetry and balance and the interior treatment here maximises its impact

and family photos and then perhaps adding additional pieces that offer that further contrast; more abstract counterparts that pick up colours from elsewhere in the scheme for instance. We love mixing up the frames when doing this and often pick a wall that can be glimpsed from other rooms such as the hallway. ”

A symphony of interest points

Focal points, however, need to keep a sense of balance and shouldn’t dominate and distract attention from other points of interest. But they should give stimulation to our visual system and the space a comfortable dynamic.

It’s effective to have one eye-catching element, but smaller visual statements also have their role. Catriona Archer picks up on this theme, “Some simpler, more toned-down ‘secondary’ focal points are also important within the room; for added interest and comfort. This could be created by using calmer textures, a more subtle colour palette, smaller furniture elements or simplified styling elements. Equally important to consider, however, is the need for much calmer ‘negative spaces’ that give these focal points the breathing space they deserve in order to shine.”

The use of focal points also gives a technique for downplaying the less attractive elements in a room. A large mirror can hide a multitude of sins and bold wallpaper can give energy to a room that is devoid of interest or take the eye away from an angled wall.

“If you have a built-in focal ❝ point, you need to give it some help, adding more details to ensure eyes always fall where they’re supposed to” ❝

Working with symmetry

There is an argument that the individual proportions of all good design are drawn from those of the human body. The symmetry of classical architecture was inspired by the symmetry of the human form. We find symmetry attractive and use it intuitively when arranging our environment. Psychologists interpret this as a recreation of our own personal symmetry. Because nature is rarely symmetrical, imposing symmetry is a statement of control over the disarray of nature, a civilising influence on the unruly.

Originally valued by the Greeks and the Romans, symmetry was revived in the 18th century during the Georgian era. Houses built

in this period formed part of a new prosperity in Britain and strictly observed the classical rules of symmetry each side of a central entranceway. The symmetry of Georgian rooms creates its own pleasing focal points as part of the architecture and allows more flexibility with other elements because fewer visual tricks are required to make the energy of the space work.

“Many of us are drawn to balanced images and find them more aesthetically pleasing than their off-kilter counterparts,” says Sarah Latham, founder of Georgian interiors specialist Etons of Bath. “Symmetrical Georgian interiors are often viewed as more restful and peaceful than their opposites because we don’t have to work as hard to figure out the use and flow of the room or space.”

Sarah continues, “Symmetry is used in Georgian interior design on the interior architecture as well as the interior design of individual building elements such as doors, windows, floors, frieze work, and ornamentation. In the space planning of a room, it’s furniture layout and the placement or art and mirrors that’s essential in achieving a sense of symmetry and balance.” n

woodhouseandlaw.co.uk; etonsofbath.com; catrionaarcher.com; mandarinstone.com

Raising the kitchen game

Imagine a versatile, freestanding kitchen system based around elegant furniture design for the modern home. We chatted to Ben Argent about his new 20/20 collection, where it’s all about the legs

“M aking furniture has always been a part of who I am”, says Ben Argent, who started making commissioned furniture pieces from the age of 13.“After setting up a kitchen company and years of producing bespoke kitchens, I really wanted to be able to combine these two passions. So to celebrate 10 years of Ben Argent Kitchens, we decided to launch our new 20 | 20 Collection. The aim was to distil all that we had learned in this process into one beautiful, elegant and highly functional product – a concept which we call kitchen furniture.”

The aim for the new range was to create a highly customisable kitchen system that works across a wide array of spaces and is not defined by the parameters of the room. Kitchens have long been fitted firmly between walls, so the idea was to escape this rigidity and create a more free-flowing statement with individual, free-standing furniture that carries more identity and personality.

“We started by breaking down the kitchen into its three fundamental components – wall, tower and island. These are the building blocks that form the foundation of every kitchen,” Ben explains. “Every element and module has been meticulously designed so it is highly functional, and yet has a common language with every other unit.” What’s more, it’s easy to combine and layer these components to suit a particular environment.

Elevated Design

“All the designed elements were elevated off the floor on an elegant leg structure, with subtle curves and long spans that make it easy to clean underneath,” explains Ben. This approach changes the whole kitchen environment to one that feels more spacious and dynamic, where you can see the floor under the units and the walls either side.

“A kitchen made up of these raised elements is reminiscent of the humble roots of the traditional kitchen,” says Ben, “which was based on individual freestanding elements, but we’ve done this using a fresh and contemporary vision. We love the collection’s timeless elegance, which is designed to last and won’t fade with passing trends.”

The collection is highly customisable with cabinets to suit every space and purpose – and individual elements can also be tailored to specific requirements.

Materials

Materials for the new collection have been selected for their sustainability and innovation. The tactility and texture of the materials are a crucial feature because this gives added depth and quality to the designs.

• Nanotec matt resin décor fronts are available in eight beautiful muted tones • Highly durable sintered stone worktops are available in nine textured finishes, which are extremely resistant to scratches, stains and heat. • Handles are diamond-milled from solid metals, with a signature, linear knurl pattern. • Hand selected natural wood veneers.

Appliances

The cabinets in the collection have been designed to be compatible with premium appliances, which include Miele Generation 7000 ovens and coffee machines, Fisher and Paykel DishDrawers, Bora hobs with built in extraction and Quooker boiling water taps. Moreover all furniture components, worktops and appliances can be fitted with minimal disruption, and with more efficiency and speed than a typical kitchen installation.

It’s clear that Ben Argent Kitchens like to focus on the detail, exploring the subtle elements and the technicalities that allow them to push boundaries to achieve sophisticated kitchens.

Ben Argent Kitchens, Dunsdon Barn, Dunsdon Lane, West Littleton SN14 8JA; tel: 01225 892270; benargentkitchens.co.uk